Abstract Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Conference Molecular Genetics of Aging September 24 - 28, 2008. The proposed meeting series on the Molecular Genetics of Aging, to be held biennially in 2008, 2010 and 2012, was first held in 1993 and has grown from a small meeting focused on a fledgling field to an exciting venue for new and experienced investigators in a now fast-moving field. The conference(s) will bring together about 300-350 scientists from the international community working on different aspects of the genetics and molecular biology of aging. The meeting will provide an intense, in-depth forum for presenting new findings and formulating new ideas in different areas of molecular aging research in which rapid progress is being made. Platform sessions in the 2008 meeting will include: (1) Genetics I; (2) Genomic Stability; (3) Mitochondria/Metabolism; (4) Cellular Senescence/Apoptosis/Stress; (5) Stem Cells; (6) Proliferative Homeostasis; (7) Environment/Interventions; (8) Genetics II. In the past few years, remarkable progress has been made in establishing a molecular foundation in these areas, and their interrelationship is becoming increasingly clear. The meeting will feature anchoring talks by leading scientists working in these areas who will chair the individual sessions. One of the key strengths of the proposed meeting series is that because the large majority of talks are selected from the openly submitted abstracts three months prior to the meeting, ample opportunity is provided for junior scientists to present their results, and also for the presentation of important, late-breaking findings. The meeting format also ensures time for interactions between scientists, particularly during meals and in poster sessions. The program organizers (with rotation), scope, aim and purpose of the 2010 and 2012 meetings will be similar. The meeting will foster interaction among molecular gerontologists and molecular biologists working in related areas, and provide a forum for the development of new ideas and approaches to aging research.